101Force

I hope this means:

• All existing Activision-Blizzard Xbox games are released on Game Pass.
• Microsoft looks at porting Activision-Blizzard games that weren't previously-released on Xbox to the console, eg: the first Diablo game.
• Microsoft compells Activision-Blizzard to implement local multiplayer in Diablo II.

At least one of those isn't a pipe-dream.

@ParsnipHero : Right on! I didn't know that, but I'm sure it will be good.

For The King is a fun RPG with some unique mechanics, and it supports 2/3-player local co-op as well.

I play Game Pass games a lot more than Games for Gold games, so I'm okay with ending the Xbox 360 component — and maybe even ending Games for Gold altogether — if it means a price hike on Game Pass is avoided or the service gets more of Microsoft's resources.

8K, 120Hz, ray tracing, and haptic feedback? Those aren't realistic goals for a new console manufacturer, they're empty promises meant to attract investor money.

Children of Morta is an excellent game, especially if you're looking for a game with local co-op, and it has a lot of story elements hidden in each level for repeat playthroughs as well.

That's cool, but Microsoft/Bethesda should really port Quake III Arena to Xbox consoles. They could even use the Dreamcast port as a source, if it makes things easier.

Player mode tags are also incredibly dodgy in the Xbox store. For example if you select the "xbox local multipayer (2-4)" tag in a game to produce a list of other games with that tag you'll get a partial list, with many games with the tag omitted for no reason whatsoever, and exploring that tag on the console store or the web-browser store produces different results as well.

Mods and total conversions are such a huge part of the Mount & Blade series I can't imagine playing it without the option to have them. Bethesda implemented mod-launchers in their more recent console games, it would be the bees' knees if TaleWorlds did something similar.

This looks awesome!

7 Days To Die and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge.

I played the original around the time of its release and really enjoyed it. I highly recommend it.

Indeed it isn't the FF7 game I was hoping for, but I'll still check it out.

Here's hoping it gets local co-op on consoles.

There's a lot I'm looking forward to from the Showcase, including some pleasant surprises, but it's interesting that contrary to the rumours leading up to the event there was nothing about a Game Pass "family plan" and nothing about an Ubisoft+ partnership with Game Pass.

Team17's upcoming games look awesome, especially Thymesia, but what I really want from them is local co-op in The Survivalists.

Frick yeah! This is great news!

It's a crying shame Doom 64 hasn't received any of the id Tech engine upgrades like other Doom games, particularly splitscreen multiplayer. It wouldn't be hard to insert multiplayer spawn points in the WADs either.

Personally I prefer the gameplay employed in Resident Evil 5, it's balanced and fun, and the game has great split screen multiplayer.

I expect a PC release before an Xbox release, but what do I know? Not much...

@Wilforce : I don't know if split screen is still on the table, but I know the developer has been so slow to add a lot of the other promised features that a lot of people have accused them of abandoning the game.

It's a shame Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance never got that split screen multiplayer that was initially promised before leaving Game Pass.

The only way I'd be interested in an Xbox Series X|S "Pro" in the next few years is if it was an avenue for more splitscreen games, similar to how the first three Borderlands games support 4-player splitscreen on the Xbox Series X|S (as opposed to only 2-player splitscreen on Xbox One consoles). But that really comes down to the developers more than anything else.

This is definitely an improvement over previous months, but it's not so good to change my opinion that Games for Gold would be better off discontinued so that money and effort can be put elsewhere.

If game streaming takes over, and it really seems like it will, I hope eventually Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo games can be streamed on any platform. But for now they've still got too much interest in console sales, so that's reasonably not possible.

Of course there will be plenty more acquisitions in the future, but I'm skeptical that Microsoft will engage in any major acquisitions until the Activision-Blizzard deal is finalized... which leads me to believe Ubisoft is being acquired by Sony or Tencent, or possibly Apple if the rumours about their upcoming gaming division are to be believed.

Personally I'd like to see some of the assets from World of Warcraft re-used in single-player spin-off games that focus on the lore and history of the series. And if these games were exclusive to console and PC Game Pass it would benefit Blizzard by generating more interest in the online game, while also benefitting Microsoft by generating more interest in Game Pass.

This is great news! I'll still buy the trilogy if it supports user content like the PC games do or in the unlikely event it supports local co-op of some sort, but at least this way I can check it out regardless.

Streets of Rage 4 is absolutely worth a playthrough, especially with a couple friends.

Given how much technology has advanced in the past few years and is likely to advance in the next few to come, eg: path-tracing, I would prefer the next iteration of the Xbox be a whole new console sporting newer technologies — with backwards-compatability of course.

Edit: Excluding chip revisions that lower manufacturing and energy costs, of course.

@VisitingComet1 : The Sega Genesis game was incredibly underrated and truer to the tabletop game compared to the SNES version. I really enjoyed it too.

@VisitingComet1 : It's called "Project Genesis", and a prequel story campaign was also made called "Brothers to the End".

@Spaceman-Spiff : Unfortunately the soundtrack couldn't be included in the port but Marshall Parker and Sam Powell, the composers for the SNES game and Genesis game respectfully, composed the soundtracks for the rebooted trilogy and so several songs in the trilogy contain references to their earlier works.

@Spaceman-Spiff : The SNES game was remade and ported by fans to the PC version of Shadowrun: Dragonfall Director's Cut using the game's campaign designer. And the Sega Genesis game was remade and ported by fans to the PC version of Shadowrun: Hong Kong. Hopefully the Xbox trilogy supports user-made content similar to the PC games.

If this supports user-made content similar to the PC versions of these games (or local multiplayer, but that's a bit of a pipe-dream I think) it would be an instant-buy for me, otherwise the price would be the biggest factor.

This poll covered the UK and the US only? While the results may also be representative of other parts of Europe and America, I doubt it's representative of Japan.

These leaks really don't give us any ideas about the gameplay, so I find myself not paying them much mind.

The Long Dark is worth checking out before it leaves.

@S1ayeR74 : I wouldn't go that far. Plenty of politicians — regardless of their party, ideology, or corruption — raise warranted or legitimate issues every now and then. But (as far as I can tell) this issue isn't one of them.

> Complaints were raised about the way they handled such cases so they are investigating it. Hardly negative and very positive.

@S1ayeR74 : Yes, that was my point and why I said it bodes well for those with concerns at Activision-Blizzard. I'm not sure why you got paywalls though, I don't get them at all fort hese sites but if you search Google there are plenty of other sources.

> Would you like to have the government takeover the company? That’s a rhetorical question

@ShinG67 : No, that's a nonsensical polarization because 1) this isn't synonymous with the government takeover of a company, and 2) as per the following article Republican opinion has shifted in recent years toward opposing the excess power wielded by corporations as well:

• https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/business/economy/big-business-politics-economy.html

@S1ayeR74 : It was reported earlier this year, and the results are going to be made available to the public:

• https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-bill-gates-sexual-harassment-gender-discrimination-investigation-2022-1
• https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/13/microsoft-hires-law-firm-to-review-sexual-harassment-policies.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/13/technology/microsoft-sexual-harassment-policy-review.html

@UltimateOtaku91 : Absolutely. There are people who only want to play online and they shouldn't be forced into Game Pass (and this is coming from someone that loves Game Pass and is hoping for an economical family plan tier of it).

Having said that, I do hope they drop Games for Gold. It's wasted effort that would be better off put toward Game Pass in my opinion.

Isn't Microsoft currently undergoing a voluntary, public review — conducted by a third-party law firm — of their sexual harassment and gender discrimination policies? Surely that bodes well for those with concerns at Activision-Blizzard?

Diablo II?!?!? Still no local co-op though...

I'm happy with my (one) Series S, but if the monthly rate for a Family Game Pass subscription isn't too high I'd consider getting a second console just for the multiplayer games that don't support local play. But honestly even just double the price of (individual) Game Pass Ultimate would be enough to deter me. I imagine a lot of families are in the same boat, so it will be interesting to see what they offer.

I can't imagine Games for Gold is very popular now.

At this point anyone with Games for Gold that doesn't have Game Pass probably has multiple consoles and their primary interest is being able to play online multiplayer games with those consoles. And everyone else has Game Pass.

I really enjoyed Dead Space 1 and to a lesser extent 2, when I didn't know a whole lot about the necromorphs or the markers and my mind was free to fill in the blanks with various possibilities. But as soon as I discovered the "true purpose" of the necromorphs and the markers I Iost all interest because of how utterly silly it was, particularly the Brethren Moons. It felt like all that style, intrigue, and various stories of the human condition were at the mercy of a pulp sci fi concept from the 1950s.

For those of us in Canada these changes — combined with the pre-existing differences — sort of make the Game Pass Quests a waste of time in my opinion.

@FraserG : I just had a look again, and I don't see it.

I see the announcement post from Thursday...
https://www.purexbox.com/news/2022/02/xbox-games-with-gold-for-march-2022-announced

...but no follow-up post or poll like you guys usually do afterward, eg:
https://www.purexbox.com/features/poll-are-you-happy-with-february-2022s-xbox-games-with-gold

I assumed it was because you were tired of people knocking Games for Gold in those posts, but your reply has me thinking it might be a posting glitch now?